Poor Idle???? | Page 2 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Poor Idle????

...And the spark plug gap is .054...;)

Underhood says .052-.055 gap. I like to set them to the low end and get bigger as they wear.
 



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...Spec. books say .054...That could be part of your problem as you are running your plugs "cold"...I do suggest you open them up first to .054 and unhook your battery for 10 minutes and try it..
 






I'll give it a try tomorrow. It cant hurt and best of all it wont cost me anything.
It may be the reason it runs better cold also.

The thing that is most frustrating is the truck runs AWESOME on the road. Plenty of power, good throttle response, no surging or miss. The idle is the only issue I have.

I just hope I'm not trying to fix something that is not broke. Like I asked at the very beginning, how smooth is normal? Can this engine idle so smooth you don't know its running? My wifes 07 Jeep Liberty has a very slight shake at idle but the tach needle looks like its painted on 700rpm.:confused:
 






...It should run between 600-800 rpm's at a steady idle...;)

...Mine purr's even offroading in over 100* temp...Problems like you are having are a pain but just going thru a checklist of all the basic stuff can make a huge difference...:D
 






...Any updates on this???...:scratch:
 






CAn you try another PCM...mine had a similaor issue...and the PCM was the culprit.

Ran great put a circuit on the PCM board went and would not 'see' a sensor's voltage properly.
 






...Any updates on this???...:scratch:

Re-gaped the plugs to.054", no change. The motor does not have enough miles on it to "Read" the plugs yet. They look like they did when I took em out of the box last week.

Have no money for a fuel pressure check so it has not been done yet. I'm going to pull the upper plenum and fuel rail back off, and recheck ALL sealing surfaces with a straight edge.

The Mother ####er really acts like a ####ing vacuum leak. I put a gauge on it 23" and very slow 1"-2" fluctuation consistent with change in RPM. As hot as it is outside, and as thin on patience as I'm getting, my crystal ball is starting to see a ####ing HYDRO LOCK. This will result from being driven into lake while running.

$3000 spent in the last 3 weeks. I'm broke, disgusted, and getting sick of ####ing with this heap-O-****. Sorry for all the French but I'm REAL pissed at this thing right now.
 






CAn you try another PCM...mine had a similaor issue...and the PCM was the culprit.

Ran great put a circuit on the PCM board went and would not 'see' a sensor's voltage properly.

No spare parts available. If I had another vehicle to strip engine management parts off THE LONG BLOCK WOULD BE IN IT and this truck would be in the crusher.

The biggest problem Ive got is this trash heap truck has bled me dry like a ####ing scam artist. I'm flat broke.
 






It is possible to have an "internal" vacuum leak at the manifold gasket.I have found a few like this by pinching off the breather hose and PCV hose.Shoot a small amount of carb cleaner into the valve cover and see if your RPM's change or idle smooths out.
Also take a look at your air intake duct between the MAF and throttle for any cracks.

Good luck
 






It is possible to have an "internal" vacuum leak at the manifold gasket.I have found a few like this by pinching off the breather hose and PCV hose.Shoot a small amount of carb cleaner into the valve cover and see if your RPM's change or idle smooths out.
Also take a look at your air intake duct between the MAF and throttle for any cracks.

Good luck

This is one I will try next. I've got the upper intake off now looking for warped upper plenum, fuel rail or intake manifold. If the problem is still there after re-assembly I'll give your suggestion a try. I REALLY appreciate all the help so far. WE WILL GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS.
 






Did you get this straightened out yet? Mine is doing this all the sudden. I put new heads on it, it ran great for about 1500 miles starting last january, and now, all the sudden, it idles like it has a giant cam in it... :D
 






Did you get this straightened out yet? Mine is doing this all the sudden. I put new heads on it, it ran great for about 1500 miles starting last january, and now, all the sudden, it idles like it has a giant cam in it... :D

Not yet. It's just too hot right now to screw with it. It idles like ****, but it runs decent otherwise. My idle is not as bad as yours but its NOT smooth.
 






...Have you checked for stored codes lately???
 






I know you said you check the MAF but if you unplug it that sets the PCM to a default value for incoming air amounts. So if it's running bad with it in, but runs good on default values, it's probably the MAF. Another thing to check if it's missing on 1-6 is to listen to it run for about 30 seconds. Shut the truck off and pull cyl 1 plug wire off the coil pack and start truck. Repeat this going from 1 to 2 to 3...etc...until you hear a change in the engine's running. If you hear no change, then it's not something limited to one cyl. Good luck!

wow, my 93 explorer runs like **** when I had my MAF disconnected once and it through me the CEL. I never thought I'd hear of one actually idling better with it unhooked.
 






...Have you checked for stored codes lately???

Na, Like I said it's too hot to screw with. I'll get it figured out in October when this hell hole cools down. Right now it runs good enough to get me to and from work.
 






More problems with my 91 hunk o ****. Still have the rough idle issue, ****TY gas mileage 10mpg, but now when the truck is hot it REAKS of fuel when I park it.

If I park and run into a store for 5 minutes I can smell gas BIG TIME and the truck BAIRLY runs till the temp gauge goes back down to "O" from like "M" or "A" on "NORMAL". It idles like its running on 3 cyl.

Remember I just spent $3000 putting a Motorcraft longblock into this POS. The new Long block has less than 1000 miles. I can't find a drop of gas leaking anywhere, but man can I smell it when the truck is warm.

...I quoted from your new thread (http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=221117 ) to here, so we can read the previous known problems too...

...Have you pressure tested the fuel rail yet???...:scratch:...I would also check for leaks around there before you start a fire...:eek:
 






...I quoted from your new thread (http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=221117 ) to here, so we can read the previous known problems too...

...Have you pressure tested the fuel rail yet???...:scratch:...I would also check for leaks around there before you start a fire...:eek:

I had my local Ford Dealer do a Fuel pressure test. They raped me for $80 and said it was within specs. The tech did not write the actual fuel pressures on the repair order. :banghead::banghead::banghead:
 






Hi, I'm now dealing with a similar problem like yours plus engine overheating. Have you checked out your injectors? My engine's cyl no. 6 was misfiring and it improves idle and power tremendously. One peculiar thing about this prob is that the Batt voltage gauge would fluctuate and you could see the lights flickering. Does your ex do the same thing? The engine overheat is a separate issue I'm now dealing with it, and replace the thermostat.
 






I put new injectors in the when I replaced the motor. I'm about at my whits end with this truck. It has been a Fix Or Repair Daily. I'm ready to sell the ####er, I hate it.

Since I got ####ed on it by my local Dealer for $2000 I've spent over $5000 on the hunk of **** and it still wants more ####ing money. Everyone has seen the list of new ####ing parts I've put into it. Make me a reasonable offer and I'll sell the POS. Someone will get it, put $100 into it and wind up with an awesome rig.
 



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...I never really understood your hydrolock comment..:scratch:...Did you hydrolock it with the old motor or the new one???

...Thats a shame though...I would have checked the stored codes a.s.a.p. , checked the fuel rail, and probably found out it was a clogged cat, a bad pcm, or something dumb..:rolleyes:

..You could post an ad in the classifieds I believe...Good Luck with your sale...:thumbsup:
 






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